Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, extreme peril, language in deadly storm docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Twister: Caught in the Storm
What's the Story?
As THE TWISTER: CAUGHT IN THE STORM begins, it's May of 2011, graduation day for Joplin, Missouri's high school seniors. A deadly mega-tornado tears through the town and levels it. One of the things that made this storm so deadly was that people didn't seem afraid enough to leave or take shelter because the rain wrapped around the eye of the storm, hiding the usually visible rotations of the tornado until it was too late. Director Alexandra Lacey interviews residents who lived through the life-changing ordeal. The stories of others who weren't so lucky, whose bodies were found, of the lost homes and livelihoods, all lead to a message at the film's end warning that climate change has made these severe and deadly weather events, especially in the tornado-prone Midwest, more frequent.
Is It Any Good?
The Twister: Caught in the Storm uses footage from cellphones, weather cameras, and CCTV to re-create the magnitude and power of the deadly 2011 super tornado. People describe the sound of it as a roar, and the soundtrack offers some idea of what it must have been like to be in the storm's midst. One said he thought the sound alone would kill him. The film offers the heartening message that the survivors are stronger for their harrowing experience. One says he's learned, "Love is all you really need."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what it means to go through a near-death experience. How do you think you would feel if you survived a terrible ordeal? Would you be grateful? Would you want to help others?
What is the film saying about climate change?
Do you think measures can be taken to prevent such devastating storms in future?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : March 19, 2025
- Director : Alexandra Lacey
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 89 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : March 31, 2025
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